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Voth
A sapient race of reptilian descent. Regal and insular, the Voth live isolated and largely nomadic lives in the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant. One of the oldest and most technologically sophisticated civilizations on record, their belief system promotes the understanding that they are the rightful rulers and guardians of the quadrant, the first people to evolve there. Human relations with the Voth, initiated by the crew of the lost starship Voyager, were complicated by evidence that the Voth species in fact originated on Earth, with the extinct dinosaurs. Voth share 47 distinct genetic markers with Humans and other Earth species, although, being reptilian, their physiology differs considerably from ours. The Voth also view mammals as a less evolved form of life. Physiology Voth are bipedal, and vaguely Humanoid. Their skin is adorned with scales and bony plating, and is coloured in various shades of orange, brown and gray, with green, yellow and purple streaking. An individual’s skin colour is subject to subtle changes; vasodilation is a form of non-verbal communication among the Voth, and much can be gleaned about an individual’s emotional state from the current shade of their skin. Vasodilation is of particular importance during courtship. Voth hands feature three clawed digits, one opposable. The skull sweeps back into a bony crest, while the nose bridge is protected by bony plates, as are the brows. The nose bridge plating of Voth males is smooth, whereas females have a protruding hornlet on top. The Voth are exothermic, and believe endotherms like mammals to be an inferior form of life. They equate the more rapid mammalian metabolism with the fleeting nature of their civilizations, in contrast to that of the Voth, which has endured in various forms for millions of years. It’s certainly true that the Voth brain is more efficient than that of endotherms; their cranial capacity is twenty-two percent greater than that of a Human. The Voth brain also features a dilitus lobe, which is responsible for their heightened sense of smell. Again, Voth olfactory capabilities are far superior to those of most mammals. Voth are largely herbivorous, but also feed upon insects, typically taken as snacks between meals. The Voth tongue is lengthy, and can be fired like that of a chameleon or some frogs. Voth often place lamps in their homes and aboard their ships, in order to attract flying insects; these are then consumed at leisure. The Voth are not a naturally violent people, though they are brutal when enforcing their doctrine. Descended from herbivores, they are naturally equipped for defence rather than attack. When faced with a severe threat, most Voth can enter into a form of protective hibernation. Their heart rate and body temperature drop, and their metabolisms almost completely shut down, though the automatic nervous system remains fully functional. In less extreme situations, they can defend themselves by firing organic needles called “bio-darts”. Special orifices on the Voth forearm fire a natural biological stinger that delivers fast-acting venom. This venom is highly adaptive, and will render most species unconscious almost immediately, although it’s not fatal. Category:Sapient Species